You were ransomed!
Children's sermon
Object:
a live-animal trap
Good morning, boys and girls! (hold up the trap) Who can tell me what this is? (see if they know)
Yes, it's a trap, the kind that can catch an animal without hurting it. I brought it along to help us learn about the word "ransom," which is in our scripture reading for the day. The lesson says that we have been ransomed from the pointless things we've learned to do. What does ransom mean? (see if anyone can tell you)
A ransom is the release of a person or property in return for a price. A prisoner is set free when someone pays a price for his freedom. Let's suppose someone has caught a squirrel in this trap. They plan to keep it caged up. You want to let the squirrel go free, but the other person doesn't agree. So what could you do? (get their ideas) Well, one thing you could do is to pay the other person some money to let the squirrel go.
For Christians, being ransomed means being freed from the sin trap. People can be prisoners of sin and fall into the trap of doing things that are wrong. They sin. Sin is just like a trap, because our sins prevent us from living lives that are free and full of joy. When we are trapped we become prisoners. We need help getting out again. We need to be set free.
When we follow Jesus, he sets us free from the traps of sin. We were like prisoners, but by being faithful to God, Jesus paid a price that set us free forever. We still make mistakes, and we still sin, but we don't have to be prisoners of sin ever again. When we ask for forgiveness we are set free. We are made clean. We are just like new again. When Jesus was raised from the dead, God proved that his love for us was more powerful than the power of sin. Nothing can stop God's love for us. Not death, not sin, not anything.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for paying the price that sets us free. Teach us how to live freely as new creations. Amen.
Yes, it's a trap, the kind that can catch an animal without hurting it. I brought it along to help us learn about the word "ransom," which is in our scripture reading for the day. The lesson says that we have been ransomed from the pointless things we've learned to do. What does ransom mean? (see if anyone can tell you)
A ransom is the release of a person or property in return for a price. A prisoner is set free when someone pays a price for his freedom. Let's suppose someone has caught a squirrel in this trap. They plan to keep it caged up. You want to let the squirrel go free, but the other person doesn't agree. So what could you do? (get their ideas) Well, one thing you could do is to pay the other person some money to let the squirrel go.
For Christians, being ransomed means being freed from the sin trap. People can be prisoners of sin and fall into the trap of doing things that are wrong. They sin. Sin is just like a trap, because our sins prevent us from living lives that are free and full of joy. When we are trapped we become prisoners. We need help getting out again. We need to be set free.
When we follow Jesus, he sets us free from the traps of sin. We were like prisoners, but by being faithful to God, Jesus paid a price that set us free forever. We still make mistakes, and we still sin, but we don't have to be prisoners of sin ever again. When we ask for forgiveness we are set free. We are made clean. We are just like new again. When Jesus was raised from the dead, God proved that his love for us was more powerful than the power of sin. Nothing can stop God's love for us. Not death, not sin, not anything.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for paying the price that sets us free. Teach us how to live freely as new creations. Amen.
